The Civil War
Civil War Roll of Honor
Many Greene County families lost a father, husband, brother or son during the Civil War conflict. More than a few families lost multiple family members. To these brave men, who as President Lincoln said, “gave the last full measure” – regardless of side, whether Union or Confederate – the Officers of the Greene County Genealogical Society speak with one voice when we humbly and sincerely say to these men and to their descendants, “Thank you for your service and for your sacrifice.”
Grand Army of the Republic and Greene County Members Roster
After the end of American Civil War, organizations were formed for veterans to network and maintain connections with each other. Many of the veterans used their shared experiences as a basis for fellowship. Groups of men began joining together, first for camaraderie and later for political power. Emerging as most influential among the various organizations was the Grand Army of the Republic, founded on April 6, 1866, on the principles of “Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty,” in Decatur, Illinois, by Benjamin F. Stephenson.
Secession Vote
The Civil War in East Tennessee was in reality, a ‘Civil War within a Civil War’. For most States, the general populace was overwhelmingly of a single mindset. For certain areas within border states such as East Tennessee, the war was doubly deadly. In these regions, neighbors killed each other over factionalism, both on and off the battlefield. Greene County, Tennessee was perhaps among the worst because the majority of the State was Confederate and Northeast Tennessee was an island surrounded by pro-Confederate states.
